Freezing apparatus



April 5, 1932.

M. P. VUCASSOVICH FREEZ I'NG APPARATUS v Filed May 27. 1930 Patented Apr. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES MICHEL P. VUCASSOVICH, F GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS FREEZING APPARATUS Application led May 2?, 1930. Serial No. 456,144.

This invention relates to4 apparatus for freezing fish and other comestibles, adapted to practice a method which consists in establishing a moving liquid having a freezing 6 point below that of the material to be frozen, and with a movement from a loading point to a discharging point, said liquid having a temperature below the freezing point of the material, arranging said material in buoyant receptacles, and subjecting the receptacles to movement through the iiow of the llquid, and to the temperature of the liquid as it is moved. Said apparatus comprises a substantially horizontal container internally partitioned to form a sinuous runway which includes elongated major portions extending side by side, and shorter neck portions connecting the major portions in pairs, the runway 'being adapted to conduct a moving refrigerating liquid and buoyant receptaclesfloating therein and charged with material to be frozen, in a sinuous path from a loading point at one end of the runway to a discharge point at the opposite end. Heat from charges in the receptacles is transferred downward through the bottoms of the receptacles to the moving body of the liquid, causing freezing to commence at the lower` sides of the charges and progress upwardly. The receptacles are pro- 30 vided with covers constituting deilectors for a refrigeratingliquid discharged thereupon.

The apparatus comprises also means for discharging a refrigerating liquid upon the receptacle covers, so that heat is transferredl I upward from the charges through the covers to the refrigerating liquid discharged thereupon and deflected thereby.

The present invention is characterized by certain improvements in the buoyant receptacles, whereby the upward transference of heat from the charges is facilitated by causing it to pass through metal instead of passing through air in the receptacles, and whereby ,5 the charges are shaped before freezing, to a convenient form for marketing.

' Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specicatiom- Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view, showing a portion ofthe apparatus, the cover of the container being removed.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Figure l, showing the container cover. l

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows in perspective one of the 65 heat conducting inner covers hereinafter described.

Figure 5 shows in perspective one of the open molds shown in section by Figure 3, and a charge therein. A 60 The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all of the figures. y

In the drawings, 1 designates a substantially horizontal container or tank, having a cover 5 and integral partitions 2, forming 21.165 sinuous runway composed of elongated major portions 3, located side by side, and shorter neck portions 4, connecting the major portions.

The inlet end 6 of the runway is extended 70 to one end of the container to form a loading, end, and the opposite end 6a is extended to a point adjacent the loading end to form a discharge end.

A liquid such as brine, having the desired temperature, is delivered through a pipe 7, andA discharged through an overiiow pipe 8, said pipes maintaining a constant level of the liquid ata predetermined height. f

Buoyant metallic receptacles 9 are provid- 80 ed, adapted to contain charges 10 of material to be frozen, and to be moved by the liquid in the runway from the end 6 to the end 6a.

Heat is transferred downward from the charges 10 through the bottoms of the receptacles, to cause 4the freezing of the charges to progress from their bottom surfaces upward.

The containers include flat bottoms on o which the charges rest and curbs 9a upstanding from the bottoms. Metallic covers 15 rest on the curbs and have marginal flanges 15a surrounding the curbs'. The upper surfaces of the covers are adapted to deiect refrigerating liquid discharged thereupon.

Conduits 13 supported above the runway are adapted to discharge a refrigerating liquid upon the deiiecting covers, and thereby subject the receptacles and their charges to l with the upper sides of the charges.

the temperature of the discharged liquid. said temperature being practically the same as that of the moving liquid in the runway. Heat is therefore transferred upward from the charge 10 through the deflecting covers toq the liquid discharged thereon, causing the freezing of the charges to progress from their upper surfaces downward.

The present invention is characterized by the hereinafter described improvements in and relating to the receptacles, said improvements being intended to facilitate the up ward conduction of heat, and to impart a predetermined form to the charges, diering from the internal form of the receptacles.

I provide each receptacle with a metallic inner cover 17, preferably of aluminum and adapted to bear on and impart a predetermined form to the surfaces of the charges 10. The inner covers 17 are removably inserted in the receptacles and contact with the top surfaces of the charges, and with the receptacle curbs 9a, as shown by Figure 3.

Heat is conducted from the charges to the refrigerating liquid impinging on the deflecting covers 15, through the metallic conducting parts provided by the inner covers 17, the curbs 9a, and the deflecting covers 15. The metal of said parts is adapted to conduct heat more rapidly than the air in the spaces s between the charges and thedeflecting covers 15.

The charges 10 are preferably packed in frames 20, constituting open molds adapted to impart a predetermined form to the margins of the charges. For example, each mold and the charge packed therein, may have a rectangular marginal form, as shown by Figure 5. The mold may be of metal, and in that case heat is conducted through its sides, so that freezing occurs from the sides inwardly.

The molds are adapted to rest loosely, with the charges, on the bottoms of the receptacles, and their upper edges are preferably in planes parallel with said bottoms and flush inner covers 17 are adapted to bear on the frames and constitute mold members, whereby apredetermined form is imparted yto the top sides of the charges, a corresponding form being imparted at the same time to the' bottom sides ofthe charges by the bottoms of the receptacles 9. Each frozen charge may, therefore, have a rectangular form con- 0 and sellvenient for packing, transporting,

lng.

The charges may be Wrapped in sheet 'material, such as cellophane, when they are placed in the molds. If desired, each charge may be composed of a plurality of units separately wrapped and all formed in the same mold, as indicated by Figure 5, by the division lines 21. i

Thecharges may be of sh in fill-et, or other The form, beef, or other meat, or any comestible which may be advantageously molded and frozen in the manner described.

It is obvious that the charges may entirely cover the bottoms and contact with the curbs of the receptacles 10,in which case the open molds 20 will not be employed, the form of the bottom surfaces and margins of the charges being determined b the bottoms and curbs of the receptacles. uch form would not be as desirable, however, as the form imparted when the open molds are employed.

I claim:

1. A freezer as an element of freezing apparatus, comprising a buoyant metallic receptacle adapted to float in refrigerating liquid and to contain the material to -be frozen, having a bottom, a rising curb at the boundaries of said bottom, a cover overlapping said curb to' deflect falling liquid from the interior of f the receptacle, and a metallic inner cover of high heat-conductivity spaced from said bottom and in heat conducting contact with said curb, adapted to transfer heat to the surrounding liquid from the upper side of 'a mass of material confined between said inner cover and bottom.

2. A freezing apparatus element comprising, in combination, a buoyant receptacle including a bottom and a curb adapted to be supported by a body of refrigerating liquid, a deliecting outer cover adapted to spread downwardly discharged refrigerating liquid over the space enclosed by said bottom, curb, and outer cover, and an inner cover spaced above the bottom and in heat conducting relation to the receptacle, said bottom constituting a lower mold member adapted to transfer heat to the supporting liquid, said innerY cover constituting an upper mold member through which heat may be transferred to the curb preparatory to transference by the curb to the outer cover and to liquid discharged thereon.

3. A freezing apparatus element comprising, in combination, a buoyant metallic receptacle including a bottom, a curb and a deflecting outer cover, and a metallic inner cover bearing on the receptacle curb and spaced from the bottom.

4. A freezing apparatus element comprising, in combination, a buoyant metallic receptacle including a bottom., a curb, and a deiecting outer cover, an open mold bearing loosely on the receptacle bottom,'and ame- Atallic inner cover bearing on the mold, and

the goods to be frozen, and a cover of heatconducting material overlying said mold to rest and press on the goods therein, and being in heat-conducting Contact with the curb of the receptacle.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

MICHEL P; VUCASSOVICH. 

